The Assamese Association Melbourne has been celebrating Rongali Bihu for more than a decade now. The distance from home has never made them feel they are away, as they celebrate Rongali Bihu in Australia in all its fun and fervour.
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Many Indians who have taken a huge leap by landing on foreign shores, be it by choice, chance or luck; land on different countries around the world in pursuit of employment, a better life, brighter future and also at time, convenience.
While the countries they select for migration afford them the desired comforts; deep within, every Indian harbours an innate desire to commemorate their festivals with the same exuberance, zeal and fervour, as experienced in their homeland.
A mere decade ago, this aspiration might have seemed elusive.
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However, with an increasing number of Indians establishing roots abroad and fostering global communities, the resonance of most Indian festivals, including the culturally rich Rongali Bihu festival from Assam, has extended beyond national borders.
The Assamese residing abroad do not want to leave any stone unturned while celebrating Bihu, as they proudly reminiscence the fond memories they had when were in Assam, the place they call Home.
The rich cultural heritage of Rongali Bihu and its festivities, make them yearn for the rejoicement that they are missing out on while staying thousands of kilometres away from Assam.
So, to keep their spirits high and to keep their roots alive, they celebrate Rongali Bihu with all its fun and fervour every year, and enjoy to their heart’s content.
If not anything, it makes them feel proud for not feeling left out when back home, their kin, family and friends are all enjoying to their fullest.
GPlus got in conversation with Gauri Konwar, who moved to Melbourne 19 years back and has been its resident ever since.
Konwar was the secretary of the Assam Association Melbourne, during the years 2022 and 2023, when he actively took part in organising the Rongali Bihu functions.
Here’s a little tête-à-tête with him where he talks about how the Association came to life, how the journey has been so far, and how they celebrate Rongali Bihu in Melbourne.
For starters, we asked how did the Assam Association Melbourne establish itself and how were the initial days.
To this, Gauri said, “Initially we were just a mere total of 10 families, which with time, gradually started increasing. Yet, we were in high-spirits and did not let the small number come in between our wish to celebrate Bihu in all its fervour. We planned a beautiful function even in the first year of our community’s inception. We are now a community of more than 50 families, and it feels really good to see our Assamese family in Melbourne growing.”
When asked how did they decide on the venue and finances to organise such an event, Konwar said, “Back then when we had just started and decided to bring Bihu from our home towns to the wonderful city of Melbourne, we thought of organising it at someone’s house and backyard. We did indeed start from there, and now that we have grown, we are going full throttle by hiring venues with space for stage performances and celebration. Coming to how we manage the funding, every member chips in money for the event as we also organise food for everyone. The venue and decoration and everything else also comes with a price. We organise competitions as well for our members, wherein they get to showcase their talents. Furthermore, I would like to add that we get also get support from the local government and councils to organise the event. For that, we are grateful.”
With every opportunity comes challenges, and knowing how hard it would be to organise a festival of your native place on a foreign land, we asked Gauri about the challenges they had to face initially and even now.
To this, Gauri took a very positive and optimistic outlook, and said that, “We always knew that no matter what we would be celebrating Bihu every year. So even though there are challenges, yet we try to overcome them together. But there has been one that’s a little hard to crack, yet we have managed until now. Challenge is always the location to organise the Bihu function in, whether in the East or West of Melbourne. It is always a dilemma to decide as we the members are spread out and how to make it convenient for everyone to attend is the question that arises.”
Talking about the small details that need to be taken care of, we also asked him how it felt to be able to celebrate our own culture in a foreign land and how to involve everyone in the same. To this he said that, “We always try to make the event as multicultural as possible and make our best efforts to show case our culture to other communities. They enjoy a lot too learning about Indian culture, and Assam to be specific. It feels great to be honest.”
Lastly, we asked what his fondest memories were as a committee member, and whether staying abroad made him feel any less cultural or lesser attached to his roots as an Assamese. To this, he said, “The fondest memory would be starting preparation for the event early; at least 2 months in advance. Excitement in doing the rehearsals and other preparations, the get-together over the weekends before Bihu over dinner and wine, etc are one of my best memories. As far as feeling less Assamese, I don’t feel anywhere close to that. I am an Assamese and a proud on at that. No one or place can take that away from me. We do not really miss out on the funras we a live like a big extended family here, though away from home. We do miss our parents, near and dear ones, friends and relatives back home during occasions like Bihu, but that’s it. Celebrating Bihu makes us feel like we too haven’t lost out on the fun!”
Celebrating Bihu while staying abroad can evoke a mix of emotions for Assamese residing there. While they may feel a sense of nostalgia and longing for the familiar sights, sounds, and flavours of home, they also find joy in preserving their cultural heritage and sharing it with others in their adopted country, by organising their very owb Bihu and enjoying to their heart’s content. Furthermore, after having a chat with Assam Association Melbourne’s Gauri Konwar, we have come to know that our brothers and sisters staying in Australia aren’t missing out much this Rongali Bihu.
A couple who recently moved to Melbourne after their wedding feels the same. Mridusmita, who shifted there with her husband Ameet, added, “I was really sad the week before Rongali Bihu. My husband was consoling me saying I would not feel bad when we attend the Bihu festivities organised by the committee. With high hopes, I did attend and the fun I had, I must say, was unparalleled to any of the days I had been in Melbourne. The food, the décor, the event, the dance, the function, and the people, everything reminded me of Bihu back home when we used to have fun as kids. It was such a wholesome experience. Kuddos to the committee for organising such a beautiful event. It did feel like home.”
It is through these gatherings, traditional dances, music, and feasting, that we humans are able to create a sense of community and connection even while being on a foreign land.
Staying connected to one's roots can offer a source of comfort, strength, and resilience, especially during times of adversity or homesickness.
Overall, embracing and celebrating one's culture while living abroad not only enriches individual lives but also contributes to the vibrant medley of global diversity.
